1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image processing apparatus, an image processing method and a memory medium.
2. Related Background Art
Conventionally, digitized work has no means for preventing the illegal copy thereof, and there has not been established the means for protecting the copyright thereof. For example, in a conventional output apparatus designed to receive digital information from a host computer and to execute an image output, the ordinary digital print information can be printed without any protection, so that, even if the digital information has a copyright, it has not been possible to avoid the illegal copying of such work.
In recent years, the protection of the copyright of the digital information has become important from the standpoint of the protection of the personal right, and there is being required means capable of securely protecting the copyright with a low cost.
Firstly there is required new means for inhibiting the printing of data to which the copyright information is attached, and there is also required means for discriminating whether the copyright information is attached or not. It has also become important that the print information is not perturbed by the copyright information, but there has not been a secure method of copyright protection meeting these requirements with a low cost.
An object of the present invention is to resolve the above-mentioned drawbacks.
Another object of the present invention is to execute adequate printing control for the image containing copyright information.
Still another object of the present invention is to print, in an image containing copyright information, only a part not containing the copyright.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide novel functions.
Still other objects of the present invention, and the features thereof, will become fully apparent from the following description of the embodiment, to be taken in conjunction with the attached drawings.